Medical Release Needed for Mercy Clinic Patients Transitioning to CHC/SEK
Current Mercy Clinic patients who plan to transition health care services to the new Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) located in either Fort Scott, Arma or Linn County, are required to complete a release of medical records to transfer documents. This will allow past medical records to be uploaded into the CHC/SEK electronic health records so providers can view a patient’s medical history once they are seen as CHC/SEK patients.
Parents and guardians may complete a release of medical records for those patients less than 18 years old. A durable power of attorney designation is necessary to complete a form for anyone older than 18 who is unable to sign.
To complete a hard copy form, please contact Jessica Marsh at [email protected] or call 620-223-8515. Completed forms may be mailed to Jessica Marsh; Mercy Fort Scott Medical Records; 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.; Fort Scott, KS, 66701.
Mercy Home Health and Hospice has collaborated with the Fort Scott Riverfront Authority Board and the City of Fort Scott to build a memorial patio for hospice patients near the walking trail at the Riverfront Park on North National Avenue and Maple Road in Fort Scott.
“The project came about as a way to honor patients and families that Mercy Hospice has served since we opened in 2012,” said Tabitha Stults, community relations coordinator for Mercy Home Health and Hospice.
Plans for the memorial patio began in April of 2017 as part of the Mercy Hospice fifth year anniversary celebration. Eighteen months later the project is complete and ready for the next phase.
“Our hospice team will work closely with family members who wish to honor a loved one,” Stults added. For a $10 fee, the name of a patient who has been served by Mercy Hospice will be engraved onto a brick to be laid in the patio.”
All the brick have been recycled from the City of Fort Scott.
To learn more about purchasing a brick to honor loved one, please contact Melissa George or Tabitha Stults at 620-223-8090.
Mercy, named one of the top five large U.S. health systems in 2018, 2017 and 2016 by IBM Watson Health, serves millions annually. Mercy includes more than 40 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, 800 physician practices and outpatient facilities, 44,000 co-workers and 2,100 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In addition, Mercy’s IT division, Mercy Technology Services, supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.
supply chain organization, ROi, and Mercy Virtual commercially serve providers and patients in more than 20 states coast to coast.
From left to right: Hugo Dahlstrom, Occupational Therapist; David Shank, Physical Therapist; Denny Gillard, Physical Therapist. Not pictured: Janet Smith, Physical Therapist, and Sarah Moore, Office Assistant.
Mercy Therapy Services will get a new name Dec. 31, 2018, when Mercy Hospital Fort Scott closes.
“I Am Rehab LLC is the official name of our business,” Hugo Dahlstrom, occupational therapist, said. “I Am Rehab & Fitness will be on our logo and signage. It is comprised of David Shank, Denny Gillard, and I.”
“We have not signed a lease agreement yet so we do not have an official start date, but we plan to be open immediately after Mercy closes on January 1,” Dahlstrom said.
“We will continue to provide physical therapy, occupational therapy, fitness center memberships, personal training, and pre-work screens,” he said.
The fitness center will still be available to the community.
“We will offer memberships at the same rates as Health For Life,” Dahlstrom said.
A photo of the Mercy Home Health and Hospice which is transitioning to Integrity Home Care and Hospice. Back Row: Kathy Stienbarger: RN, Rebecca Davied: Home Health and Hospice Director, LaShawn Noel: MSW, Dr Maxwell Self: Medical Director, Kyli Gates: RN Manager, Kerry Wunderly: RN, Joanna Gauthier: Accounts Coordinator. Middle Row: Albert Sacbibit: PT, Ashley Shelton: RN, Kelli Jones: RN, Chris Comstock: Admin Assistant, Trista Smith: Aide, David Goodyear: RN, Dreia Judson: Aide, Hugo Dahlstrom: OT. Front Row: Darcy Bukowski: RN, Tabitha Stults: Community Relations, Cindy Remlinger: Aide. Absent From Picture: Melissa George: Chaplin, Sandy Smith: Admin Assistant, Alice Helton: RN, Bob Meredith: PT, Brenda Baily: RN, Holly Schnichels: RN, Tori Stewart: COTA, Deanna Warner: RN, Shannon Nash: RN, Bill Rice: PT.
Mercy Home Health and Hospice hosted the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce weekly coffee on Nov. 29.
Tabitha Stults, community relations with MHHH, spoke to the attendees at the coffee.
Stults said the Memorial Patio in Riverside Park, which was begun October 2017 was finished this month.
The area is in memory of those people served by hospice since 2012, when Mercy began its hospice service to the community.
Becky Davied, director of Mercy’s home health said that the home health department was started in 1974.
Mercy Home Health and Hospice will have a name change to Integrity Home Care + Hospice following the closure of Mercy Hospital on Dec. 31, 2018. Integrity is based in Springfield, MO.
Integrity’s Machelle Gillhous will assume the title of director of community engagement, following the merger.
“She won’t be in Fort Scott,” Stults said. “She is the director of community engagement for all of Integrity, she will be my direct supervisor.”
Between Jan.1 and March when Integrity takes over, the staff will remain as Mercy employees as they go through the merger, Stults, said.
“We will have the same staff and continue to provide the same services,” Davied said.
” We will continue to provide all of our traditional services that we do now,” Stults said.
Mercy Home Health and Hospice is located at 902 S. Horton in the Mercy Medical Plaza. The phone number is 620-223-8090.
The services provided are:
For Home Health:
Skilled Nursing: Wound Care, IV Therapy, Disease Management, Palliative Care, Medication Management, Blood Draws, Infant and Pediatric Care, Patient and Family Education, 24 Hour on-call services.
Physical Therapy: Assessment, Evaluate, and Treatment
Occupational Therapy: Assessment, Evaluate, and treatment.
Home Health Aide Services: Bathing, hair care, skin care.
Social Work Services: short-term counseling and community resource education.
Chaplain Services: Spiritual support and resource education.
For Hospice:
Skilled Nursing: 24/7 on-call skilled nursing services, comfort care, pain management, patient and family education, durable medical equipment coordination, medication management Services are available where ever the patient lives: a home or apartment, nursing home, assisted living facility, Independent care facility or hospital
Social Work Services: short-term counseling and community resource education.
Volunteer Services: Volunteers to read and visit with patients or allow caregivers a break.
Chaplain Services: Spiritual support and resource education
Bereavement Services: Family and caregiver support for 1 year following the loss of a loved one.
Home Health Aid Services: Bathing, hair care, skin care, light housekeeping, patient and family support.
Mercy Fort Scott co-workers recently organized a chili and soup cook-off which netted nearly $800 for Care to Share/The Sharing Bucket, a local cancer support group.
On October 1, 2018, Fort Scott Mercy Hospital President Reta Baker announced the closing of the hospital at years end.
Mercy Hospital has been a part of the community since 1885, and the news sent shock waves into Bourbon County and all of Kansas.
Baker has been working on transitioning to a new medical care system in Fort Scott in these specific areas: a medical clinic, an ambulance service, a patient transportation service, an emergency room service, therapy services and home health and hospice services.
The following is an update provided from Baker, following a request from FortScott.Biz.
“New models of care are becoming a reality for many rural communities,” Baker said. “It is not an easy change. At the Kansas Hospital Association meeting this week it was reported that 73% of the rural hospitals report having a negative operating margin, and over the upcoming year we will see many more communities faced with this change and we may be in a position to be the cutting edge example of doing this successfully.
“These new models of care have at least at least three components, we are striving for five:
A clinic that is designed to meet the needs of the community. Mercy has assured this need is met through the transition of all clinic operations to the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK). They are a primary care clinic with expanded services to support dental and behavioral needs of communities they serve. CHC/SEK is in the process of interviewing and hiring as many of our current staff as they can accommodate. The following list of providers have confirmed that they will be continuing their practices with CHC/SEK:
Dr. Katrina Burke, who will continue to provide prenatal care and deliver babies at Via Christi in Pittsburg.
Dr. Maxwell Self, who will continue to provide support to the Home Health and Hospice.
Dr. P.K. Gugnani, who will continue to provide an important role in our occupational medicine efforts.
Beth Newkirk ARNP will practice part-time at the FS location.
Pam Moyer, ARNP, will be joining CHC/SEK in the FS location, she has worked convenient care and is currently working in the ER.
Christine O’Dell, ARNP, who will continue to practice at the Convenient Care Location.
Hannah Born, ARNP, will be practicing with CHC/SEK at the Pittsburg location.
Amber Hunziker, ARNP, will be practicing with CHC/SEK in the Pittsburg and Arma location.
Amanda Stice, ARNP, will continue her practice with CHC/SEK.
The following list of providers are continuing to consider their options:
Dr. Larry Seals has not decided where his office will be located but intends to remain in the area, and will be delivering babies at Nevada Regional or Via Christi.
Dr. John Fox has not decided where his office will be located but intends to remain in the area, once he makes his choice this will be shared with the community.
Greg King, ARNP, has not decided where his office will be located but also intends to remain in the area, once he makes his choice this will be shared with the community.
A strong ambulance service. Mercy has been contracted by (Bourbon) County to provide the ambulance service since 1991. Mercy is working with the county to transition ownership of the ambulances and equipment to the county. The county will engage the City (of Fort Scott) under the structure of the fire department to operate the ambulance. It is expected that the same highly trained staff will provide the service seamlessly to the community.
A transportation system to facilitate patients being able to get to provider appointments as well as to those that require a specialist. Through CHC/SEK, facilitating transportation to physician appointments if they have no means of transportation, is a service they do provide.
An emergency room is an added component we are striving for and consider a high priority but is not always present in rural models. Mercy is in discussion with an entity for the provision of an emergency department. This entity is in the process of completing due diligence to determine whether it can be a feasible and sustainable investment for them. As with the other services, Mercy is facilitating to remain in the community all of the equipment to operate the ER would be transitioned to this entity.
Therapy services of physical, speech and OT which is another added and the fifth component to the model of care. A group of therapists has formed a company “I Am Rehab” to provide physical and occupational therapy as well as the continued (Health For Life) fitness center facilities for the community.
“Mercy has offered and is willing to work with the city and county to facilitate a smooth transition of EMS and ambulance services.
“Home health and hospice services will continue but transition around Feb. 1, 2019, to the new name of Integrity. A large percentage of the providers will stay with the new management. The service area will remain the same and perhaps expand.”
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Invites you to join Mercy Hospital for their 13th Annual Chili Cook-off on Tuesday, November 13th, 2018 at 11 am!
The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce Invites You To Attend Mercy Hospital’s “Coping With The Holidays” Program on Thursday, November 15th, from 2-3:30 PM
Gordon Parks’ Collection at Hospital Temporarily Stored
FORT SCOTT, Kan. (Nov. 5, 2018) – In preparation for the transition of clinic services to CHC/SEK and the closure of Mercy Hospital Fort Scott, facility work within the building will begin this week.
On display at the hospital is a collection of Gordon Parks’ artwork and poems. Parks made the donation as a gift to the Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott in 2002.
Over the next couple weeks, the collection will be carefully removed from the walls, wrapped for protection, and secured in a temporary location until a new site for the entire collection is determined by the Mercy Health Foundation Fort Scott Board of Directors.
The board is investigating a new site where the works will remain in Fort Scott for public access and viewing.
Mercy Hospice and Cheney-Witt Memorial Chapel partner to offer guidance
The holiday season can be especially difficult with the absence of a loved one. Mercy Hospice and Cheney-Witt Memorial Chapel are co-sponsoring a “Coping with the Holidays” program on Thursday, November 15from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Cheney-Witt Carriage House at 301 S Main Street in Fort Scott.
The educational program is open to the public and will offer guidance for those who have experienced a loss and offers tips on how to make it through the holidays without a loved one. Caregivers and family members are welcome.
Facilitators for the program are Melissa George, Mercy Hospice chaplain, and LaShawn Noel, Mercy Hospice social worker & volunteer coordinator.
Refreshments will be provided by Cheney-Witt. Registration is not required.
For more information, contact Mercy Hospice at 620-223-8533.
Laura Kelly/Lynn Rogers P.O. Box 2098 Topeka 66601 Democratic
Jeff Caldwell/ Mary Gerlt 4900 W 108th St, Apt. 1202 Leawood 66211 Libertarian
Rick Kloos/Nathaniel Kloos 5339 SW 22nd Pl. Topeka 66614 Independent
Greg Orman/John Doll 18001 W 106th St Olathe 66061 Independent
Name:Jeff Caldwell
Age: 32
Candidate for the position of Governor of Kansas
Place of residence: Leawood, Kansas
Current occupation: Sales
Community involvement: Volunteer for Harvesters, Food Banks, and Food Pantries
Party affiliation: Libertarian
1) What is the biggest issue, if elected, and how do you plan to address it?
The Kansas government spends way too much money and is $3.2 billion in debt. It’s time for Kansas to stop borrowing money from different agencies and stealing from KPERS. I will work with the legislators to responsibly cut government spending, abolish unnecessary agencies like the Board of Cosmetology, and eliminate overburdensome regulations and red tape. I will also look at returning state responsibilities back to local city governments and find ways to have nonprofit organizations take over some services provided by the state.
2)Give your views on food sales tax:
Kansas is one of only seven states in the entire United States that taxes food without a reduced rate or no rate at all. Kansas has one of the highest tax rates on food in the entire United States. Missouri, Nebraska, and Colorado have a reduced tax rate on food. Oregon and Montana have no tax on food. Having some of the highest sales tax on food in the nation is a burden on everyone. My platform includes abolishing the tax on food and water, lowering private property taxes, and abolishing the income tax for the service industry.
3) Give your views on legalizing marijuana:
I am the only Kansas Gubernatorial candidate running to fully legalize cannabis. I am also the only Kansas Gubernatorial candidate running to pardon all nonviolent cannabis offenses. Earlier this year, Kansas passed a $525 million school funding increase. The politicians in Topeka have not told us how they are going to pay for it or how they are going to improve our economic outlook. The unemployment rate in Kansas has been stuck at 3.4% for over 6 months; however, the Kansas legislators are telling us an improving economy will cover the funding. I want to use funds from full legalization of medical and recreational cannabis, hemp, and sports betting to cover the cost.
4) Give your views on health care for our state, including Medicaid:
I am running to keep Medicaid at current levels while cutting government regulations to allow free market solutions to health care [not privatization like Brownback, which created government granted monopolies]. This means more direct primary care doctors, ushering in coverage from insurance companies out of state, allowing more nonprofit organizations to enter health care, and allowing for importation of medicine from other countries. Having more doctors who do not require health insurance allows for there to be more doctors able to perform tasks without charge and have more flexible payments for people who cannot afford treatment. This offsets costs from catastrophic injuries and sickness. If we can cut enough government spending, and Medicaid expansion passes the house and senate, I will sign the bill for expansion. I will work to ensure expansion does not create more red tape and operates closer to a free market than having corporate or government monopolies on health care.
5) Give views on abortion and Planned Parenthood:
I would like to keep abortion laws the same as they are. To stop polarizing politics, I support allowing Kansans to choose where their tax dollars are spent. If a citizen does not want their tax dollars to go to Planned Parenthood, they should not be forced to fund Planned Parenthood. Furthermore, if a citizen believes in funding Planned Parenthood, they should be allowed to direct their tax dollars to Planned Parenthood.
